West Somerset businesses collect top tourism awards

West Somerset businesses collect top tourism awards

A HOST of West Somerset businesses collected accolades in front of a capacity audience at the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards this week.

West Somerset winners included the Dunkery Beacon Country House Hotel, The Luttrell Hotel, Salad Days and The Beach Hotel in Minehead.

Laura Rawlings from BBC Radio Bristol announced winners from each of the 20 different categories to excited cheers.

To get to this stage each entrant had gone through a rigorous three-stage judging process, taking into account websites, reviews, social media, visits by industry ‘mystery visitors’ and finally a judging panel.

The winners were invited on stage to be presented with individually crafted awards made by Will Shakspeare, from Shakspeare Glass in Langport.

Dunkery Beacon Country House Hotel in Wootton Courtenay was declared Winner of Winners after collecting gold in the small hotel, boutique accommodation and restaurant/bistro of the year categories.

John Bradley, who runs the hotel with his wife Jane, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have taken home gold in these prestigious awards and it is a credit to all the hard work everyone on the team puts in.

"We’re also absolutely delighted to have won the title of Winner of Winners too. We’re very humbled by it all and completely blown away.

“We pride ourselves on the beautiful accommodation we provide and we feel our rooms are really top notch and wonderful places for our guests to really relax.

In their first year of trading, Brett Bates and Susan Juggins of Salad Days Beach Hut at Dunster Beach are so proud to be awarded 2016 Dog Friendly Accommodation of the Year.

"Just to be in the final of the Somerset Tourism Awards is high praise alone in our first year,’’ Mr Bates said.

"To be judged by our peers in the tourism industry and be awarded a silver is just fantastic and very exciting news for us ’’ he said.

The Luttrell Hotel won silver for Best Tourism Pub and bronze in the Small Hotel category.

Nigel Way, owner of The Luttrell Arms Hotel said: “It’s a wonderful achievement for the hotel and which also puts Dunster firmly on the map as a destination of choice offering award winning accommodation and fine dining."

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